What about the area that used to be the stomping grounds for the [gulp] PIGMASTER?

:o

Closer to Monroeville, but still near Pitts.

Maybe he's more urban legend than part of a "truly" haunted site .... still, pretty freaky story in any event.

"What is wanted is not the will to believe, but the will to find out, which is the exact opposite."Bertrand Russell"You're going to go to McDonald's... you'll order an Egg McMuffin and some coffee... WAIT! They're going to forget your extra salt! Remind them to give you salt, please!!"Ed Closser, Trivial Psychic

Camile, tell me more about this "pigmaster"? I have never heard of it!

A friend of mine used to live in Monroeville (trivial sidenote: her uncle was an extra zombie in "Dawn of the Dead"). "Pigmaster" is actually supposed to be a real person. A crazy, old coot who lives by himself in a rundown pig farm on a rural road out near monroeville. He would post crazy things along the side of the road--large, crudely drawn signs warning people to stay away or die (words to that effect), strange "sculptures" made out of trash (and something else ?? :o).

After a while, rumors would circulate that he'd trap, kidnap, torture and kill passing motorists, or curious kids who happened to trespass on his property. Doubt that part of the story (sounds like a plot right out of Texas Chainsaw Massacre :).

"What is wanted is not the will to believe, but the will to find out, which is the exact opposite."Bertrand Russell"You're going to go to McDonald's... you'll order an Egg McMuffin and some coffee... WAIT! They're going to forget your extra salt! Remind them to give you salt, please!!"Ed Closser, Trivial Psychic

THe Ambridge area is supposedly well haunted no wonder Harmony is too. The old G.C. Murpheys basement was supposedly haunted, General "Mad Anthony" Wayne is supposed to haunt a bar and a few other places that are skipping my mind at the moment.

Here's one I just picked up on while researching a different topic, one which I never heard of before:

THE MURDER SWAMP

It's located along the Beaver River near New Castle, north of Pittsburgh. An unnamed island is also part of the swamp. Supposedly, it once served as a dumping ground for a serial killer, who at one point was also thought to be the "Mad Butcher" of Kingsbury Run.

"What is wanted is not the will to believe, but the will to find out, which is the exact opposite."Bertrand Russell"You're going to go to McDonald's... you'll order an Egg McMuffin and some coffee... WAIT! They're going to forget your extra salt! Remind them to give you salt, please!!"Ed Closser, Trivial Psychic

Yes, I have not heard of the "Murder Swamp" before, either. But I picked up on this tale from an anthology put out by Western PA historian and former Pittsburgh Press writer George Swetnam (who is now, sadly, deceased). It was originally an article he wrote in 1954. The anthology, if you're interested, is called Devils, Ghosts and Witches: Occult Folklore of the Upper Ohio Valley. (1988; McDonald/Sward Publishing Co.) It contains quite a few tales and legends around Pitts--pretty interesting stuff.

As for Pigmaster, I don't know what to tell you. The tale is what it is.

Funny, just last Thursday night, I was cleaning up my website's email and came across an email back in early October from another ex-Pitts resident about the Pigmaster (and another equally gruesome legend, "Hells Gate"). Sorry you couldn't turn up something on the Pigmaster. It's such a unique legend, not like the "crybaby bridges" or "orphanage fires" or "melonheads" that seem to occur in every state. Maybe try some area message boards and see what turns up. :-/

"What is wanted is not the will to believe, but the will to find out, which is the exact opposite."Bertrand Russell"You're going to go to McDonald's... you'll order an Egg McMuffin and some coffee... WAIT! They're going to forget your extra salt! Remind them to give you salt, please!!"Ed Closser, Trivial Psychic

Maybe Pigmaster is just one of those tales that died out? The people that I have asked are all current residents of Monroeville, but maybe they are just too embarassed to admit it! I will keep digging.

I will also have to check out that book, probably has some good tales in it.

"What is wanted is not the will to believe, but the will to find out, which is the exact opposite."Bertrand Russell"You're going to go to McDonald's... you'll order an Egg McMuffin and some coffee... WAIT! They're going to forget your extra salt! Remind them to give you salt, please!!"Ed Closser, Trivial Psychic

No never heard about the island, it would have to pretty small though since the Beaver River isn't very big. My ex is from that area and he never said anything about it even when we were talking about whatever was living in our first house with us. I'm sorry not feeling well so my memory isn't working but isn't there someone here from New Castle? Did you ever hear of this?